Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Help for Self-Initiates and Solitary Practitioners of Golden Dawn Magick

In the Alpha Omega, we are concerned about the need for face-to-face training and personal support in Ritual Magic. With our 1,000 Points of Light initiative, the A.O. inaugurated a host of new world-wide resources for Independent Practitioners and local groups of aspiring Magicians. These include:

Personal Temples: The Alpha Omega continues to encourage Self-Initiates and Solitary Practiioners to create Personal Altars and Temples. We continue to put them on the map for you here on the Golden Dawn blog, and to publish photos of independent Altars and Temples from around the world for you.

Self-Initiation: The A.O. continues to teach how the goal of Golden Dawn Initiation and Magic is to strengthen the energetic body and to awaken the Elemental, Planetary, Zodiacal, and Sephirothic Magical Forces in the "Sphere of Sensation" of aspiring Magicians. We continue to provide the techniques necessary to accomplish this on your own.

Magical Tools:The A.O. continues to teach how traditional Golden Dawn Magical Tools are created by publishing photographs of tools of Golden Dawn Adepts, including never before seen photos of Israel Regardie's magical implements from the A.O.'s "Golden Dawn Museum."

Ritual Magic 101 Coaching Webinars:The A.O. continues to bring solid Ritual Magic teaching and coaching to self-taught Magicians all around the world, in a continuing series of live streaming video and audio, international Webinars.

2012-2013 Golden Dawn World Tour: The Alpha Omega continues to make Ritual Magic instruction and coaching - as well as traditional Golden Dawn initiation - available in more and more countries across the globe.

International Golden Dawn Festivals: The Alpha Omega led the way again in providing training in supplemental Magic newly released by the Secret Chiefs at the 2012 and 2013 International Golden Dawn festivals. These festivals were nonsectarian and open to members of any Golden Dawn order or temple. In this small manner, the AO continues to lead the way in transcending sectarian strife in the Golden Dawn community.

Of course, we continue to provide initiation and training for Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn initiates and members at our traditional Golden Dawn Temples. 2012 is also the 10th Anniversary of the Alpha Omega providing on-line Magic education for students at a distance in our multi-language members' websites as well.

We must face reality though. The A.O.'s beginners' level First Order, the H.O.G.D., is not only the world's most thorough school of Ritual Magic, but it is also the most demanding.

Before H.O.G.D. initiates may graduate and apply for admission to our Second Order, the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis, they must first have completely mastered everything other G.D. orders offer their most advanced Adepts.

In the R.R. et A.C., our Adepts practice post-graduate level Magic revealed by the Secret Chiefs at the International Conclave of Golden Dawn Adepti last March. The Magic of the A.O.'s Third Order, our Ph.D. level curriculum, includes, for example, Alchemical Magic and Hermetic Internal Alchemy.

Alpha Omega ...... theOxford of Golden Dawn Magic.

We don't hand out grades ...We make Magicians!

But how can the Alpha Omega meet the needs of aspiring Magicians who are not yet ready for such a serious magical commitment as the H.O.G.D. involves?

Alpha Omega's "1,000 Points of Light Initiative" is an innovative program, providing support and magical training for Independent Practitioners and groups around the world.

We began by encouraging you to create a personal temple, even if it is only an altar in the beginning. We next encouraged you to share photographs of your personal altars and temples, so you may further inspire one another. We then created a map of personal temples around the world, so that Independent Practitioners can see that they are not alone.

There are, however, several important needs remaining to be fulfilled:

What about coaching and support for Independent Practitioners?

To meet this need, the A.O. has been offering Ritual Magic coaching in Webinar format. Our pilot program offered free coaching sessions in 8 languages. The first session, in English, was on Saturday, Oct. 27 2012. With this, the AO brought a valuable new resource to the entire community and paved the way for teachers from other orders to follow our lead on their own venues.

It is wonderful to witness Magic teachers from around the world, even Donald Michael Kraig, jumping on Alpha Omega's Ritual Magick Webinar bandwagon over at Llewellyn. The need for more coaching options for Self-Initiates and Solitary Practitioners of Ritual Magick is great - greater than even the Alpha Omega can meet on its own. It is wonderful to see other teachers pick up our slack and step up to the plate as well!

What about training and coaching in person?

When it comes to Ritual Magic, there are limitations about what can be effectively taught at a distance. This is why, unlike other Golden Dawn orders, H.O.G.D. members are required prior to graduation to complete all Golden Dawn initiations, physically present with a trained Hierophant in a fully chartered, traditional Golden Dawn temple.

This still does not address the need, however, for local support and in-person training for Independent Practitioners and local groups of aspiring magicians around the world. An interesting discussion arose about this recently on the H.O.G.D. Yahoo Forum, where I was asked what the minimum requirements are to create a Golden Dawn Sanctuary. As part of my answer, I offered to come and assist local groups develop into full fledged Golden Dawn Sanctuaries.

This led to one of our readers, "Hilda," asking me:

"Wow! Is that offer for anyone who gets a group started?"

This led to brainstorming in the A.O.'s College of the Adepti about how we can better meet the need for local support and in-person training - not only for people wanting to form a local Golden Dawn Sanctuary - but also for Independent Practitioners and other aspiring Magicians around the world, still working outside of a traditional Golden Dawn order.

This led to the Alpha Omega creating yet another innovative resource as part of our 1,000 Points of Light Initiative. I am proud today to make the following announcement as part of the Alpha Omega's ongoing commitment to make Magicians:

"I am willing to visit, provide coaching, support, and face to face training in local areas all around the world - and not just for local groups - but for Self-Initiates, Independent Practitioners, and other aspiring Magicians as well ...

I am in the fortunate position that my career leaves me free to dedicate myself full time to the Golden Dawn half a year. Plans for extensive travel to teach in coming months are being fine tuned now.

Having worked as an international tour director for three full decades, I am used to an intensive travel schedule - and my wife and fellow Adept, V.H. Soror D.I.A., also has wheels for feet - so she doesn't get upset about being on the road with me for months on end.

The A.O. is exploring ways to finance necessary travel expenses to provide badly needed local support, without putting undue burden on already overextended A.O. resources. I would gladly finance travel to provide local support myself, but contrary to rumor, I am not independently wealthy.

One good way to cover travel expenses involved in providing local support for aspiring Magicians - would be to give a public lecture on Friday night, followed by a training and coaching session on Saturday. Reasonable fees for these services ought to be able to offset costs. Any local assistance or organizational support to help defer costs would, of course, be much appreciated.

"As a matter of fact, as long as I am there, I am even willing to provide Golden Dawn initiation to qualified aspirants ...

I remain utterly committed to the Alpha Omega's mission to make Magicians ...

So committed, in fact, I am willing to travel for months on end - from city to city - and country to country - to provide the support necessary to make Magicians.

What if I am a member of a different Order ...

... but would love to discover the unique differences of the A.O.?

Real Magic transcends sectarianism!

I remain open to visit, teach, and do magic with any existing working groups that want to feel for themselves if there is a difference between doing real Magic and acting like a Magician. I will, of course, keep your confidentiality.

In Magical practice, what you do is not nearly as vital as how it’s done. If people have participated in Ritual Magic or initiation in the past but never really felt a change, they will be in for a surprise – Magic Works! It is not just great costumes and funny words.

This is an opportunity to meet me and and to discover for yourself who I really am - beyond how I am portrayed by other Orders or their representatives.

In the Alpha Omega, we make Magicians who arrive at their own conclusions based on personal experience and evaluation of results.

12 comments:

I think this is a good initiative. As an "outsider", however, I have a question.

Everything related to the Golden Dawn and Hermeticism seems to be concealed in secrecy and mystery, whose knowledge would only be available to initiates. There are a lot of freely available material, but there is also a lot of confusion (too much information and it's really difficult to know what is good information and what is not). From what I have read about the Western Esoteric Tradition or Hermeticism, I have appreciated the most the writings of Israel Regardie, Jean Dubuis and the basic rituals of the "Ritual Magic Manual", which I had experimented myself a little and I sort found that they indeed change something in our energetic body or soul, so as to say.

However, I always have a lot of doubts about Magic and Esoteric orders in general, with so many things going on nowadays, from satanists, to Aleister Crowley's OTO and multitudes of secret orders claiming a true lineage, etc.

Whatever, I do feel that you have something positive to offer. Perhaps you know Jean Dubuis' The Fundamentals of Esoteric Knowledge? I would really appreciate a small book like that which could give an overview of what magic is all about, and which might clear doubts about the concepts associated with it. Perhaps something like "The Fundamentals of Golden Dawn Magic", covering not only the essentials of the Golden Dawn philosophy and teaching, but also clarifying to the wider audience controversial topics such as the meaning and purpose of life, what is black magic, destiny, universal justice, what is the so called Great Work, what is Goetia, OTO, the function of religions, etc. And then including also basic rituals for solitary practioners or aspiring magicians, the essentials of Quabala, Alchemy and Hermeticism.

Perhaps I am asking too much and such knowledge should be limited to initiates. I don't know... But with all the confusion and relativism out there, I think it would be great.

In any way, I think it's a great initiative on your part. Perhaps we might meet some day in person, so that I might experiment myself what Magic is all about. Peace be with you.

The whole reason for the Alpha Omega is, much like a university, to provide a structure where material can be mastered more quickly and effectively.

In the Alpha Omega, we have come a long way in improving our teaching methods to better meet this need, but we still have a long way to go as well. I am not ready to talk about this yet, but while others have been writing books, we in the A.O. have been busy improving our methods.

Stay tuned to the Golden Dawn blog as there are several announcements forthcoming that go a long way to answering the questions you raise.

Regarding Magick as a spiritual path, I would suggest that you begin by reading the following article that clearly shows the fundamental differences between Magick and Mysticism.

I am interested in the H.O.G.D. and will probably seek initiation and training in the near future, so I regularly keep an eye on your blog (I’m actually a subscriber/follower) and receive updates when you post messages. I was thinking as I was reading this latest post that if you are willing to do this for free and even pay for your own travel costs that you must be an incredibly nice guy but also INSANE. I am glad to see that you are willing to do stuff like this but you should definitely be financially compensated for it (at least SOMEWHAT). It's great to be nice, just don't be TOO NICE!

Anyway, hopefully one day I will be able to meet you personally (as a brother in the HOGD) either at my initiation or at some other gathering (like a festival). Now if I could just find a print copy of your The Ritual Magic Manual. Unfortunately, it seems to be quite rare these days (and therefore rather pricey).

Regarding the Ritual Magic Manual, I still have a few copies left, but I only sell them at events. At the last Golden Dawn Festival I released 10 of my reserve copies of the RMM to aspirants who showed a serious interest in their Magical development. (Here is another reason to come the the next Festival!)

Of course compensation is important and is always gladly accepted. There is a law of exchange in the universe, and anything of true value should always be compensated, even if only with a token sum.

This is not my motivation for teaching Magick, however. I have always followed nobility of purpose and put service to the spiritual needs of humanity in the first instance.

This looks fantastic! I'm enjoying following your blog and receiving updates. I do have a question, though.

I have gained a lot of insight from many different studies, including reading Israel Regardie, Frater Albertus, Mark Stavish, Timothy Hogan, Jean Dubuis, and most of the classic esoteric or occult authors like Eliphas Levi, Albert Pike, A E Waite, Mathers, etc.... as well as being initiated into and deeply studying freemasonry. I also think that what you're doing here to help support and grow the Magickal community is wonderful. To me, all of this stuff is compatible and worth exploring and learning.

I have read all of the posts about the SRIA controversy, and I'm wondering how many of your members are freemasons, but not in any way interested in being involved in any of the conflict?

Despite being an inititate of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC, I have always held a deep respect for the Golden Dawn. The only reasons keeping me from joining the Golden Dawn are 1) there are no temples remotely close to me, and 2) the dark taint that Crowley left in his wake by associating with the Golden Dawn. Anyways, in my opinion, mysticism is the passive method of connecting with the divine whereas magick is the active method. To argue that one method is better or worse than the other is to create separation where there would otherwise be none. They are two sides to the same coin -- the Hermetic credo 'as above so below' holds very true in this regard. Our methods may be significantly different, but our goals are ultimately the same.

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Our order is the sole and exclusive owner of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn® trademark in the European Union (reg. 000063925). We additionally own the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn International® trademark in Canada (CIPO Reg. TMA510387). We operate in the United States by legal agreement adopted by the United States District Court as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, outer order of the Rosicrucian Academy of Alpha et Omega®. We are the only remaining lineal descendant of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, founded by S.L. MacGregor Mathers in England in 1888.